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Border Protections

On March 13, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen accompanied Vice President Mike Pence to visit U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Advanced Training Center (ATC) in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. During the visit they toured the facility and observed a use of force simulation, mat room training for the Less Lethal Instructor Recertification Training Program, and a border wall presentation.

“After receiving a request for assistance from the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense has approved providing mission-enhancing capabilities to Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) along the Southwest Border (SWB). This assistance is in addition to the previously authorized support to CBP's Operation Guardian Support mission."

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) Border Interoperability Demonstration Project (BIDP) was a one-time $25.5 million grant program that focused on identifying innovative solutions to interoperability along the northern and southern U.S. borders. While the grant program has closed, OEC remains focused on transferring BIDP information and knowledge to all border communities and other interested parties. In addition to a closeout report and the BIDP Study on Implementing Interoperability Channels along and across the United States–Canadian Border, as well as the BIDP Study on Rural and Urban Area Interoperability Solutions along and across International Borders, OEC published two additional studies

Border walls have proven to be extremely effective in preventing the flow of drugs and illegal aliens across our borders. Walls have worked in Yuma, Arizona and San Diego, California, where both areas have seen a 95 percent drop in attempted illegal border crossings.

The Secretary of Homeland Security announced her determination that an extension of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Syria was warranted pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act. After carefully reviewing conditions in Syria with interagency partners, Secretary Nielsen determined that the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions that support Syria’s designation for TPS continue to exist. Therefore, pursuant to the statute she has extended Syria’s TPS designation for 18 months.

Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke announced her decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nicaragua with a delayed effective date of 12 months to allow for an orderly transition before the designation terminates on January 5, 2019.